“I thought, ‘Maybe they can do without me now.'”
South Korean national team ace Son Heung-min (Tottenham), who missed the game against Tunisia, was pleased with his teammates’ performance in the big win.
South Korea, led by Jürgen Klinsmann (GER), scored four second-half goals to cruise to a 4-0 victory over Tunisia in an A-match exhibition at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Wednesday. It was Klinsmann’s second consecutive victory and first at home since taking over, and it was a pleasant victory that erased the performance controversy.
However, Son Heung-min was unable to join the goal parade. He was not named in the starting lineup as he continues to recover from a muscle injury and watched his teammates perform from the bench. When Lee Kang-in, who scored two second-half goals to seal the victory, was substituted just before the end of the game, he hugged him and encouraged him as he returned to the bench.
“It was a decision I made after talking to the coach,” said Son Heung-min in the post-match mix zone, “and I’m proud of the players for doing well without me.”
“I think our players gained confidence today with a good performance and a lot of goals,” he said, adding, “I hope we can continue to play like this.”안전놀이터
He was full of praise for Lee Kang-in, who scored his A-match debut and second goal in a row. “Scoring your first goal for the national team is a moment every player dreams of,” he said, adding, “I wanted to hug not only (Lee) but all the players who worked hard.”
“I feel good that what I prepared during the call-up period came out well on the field,” he said, adding, “I’m just laughing, but the players did so well that I thought they didn’t need me.” He repeatedly expressed his satisfaction.
“I want to play every game,” he said, smiling, “I don’t have any other desires, but I have a lot of desires to play.” When asked by reporters about his chances of playing against Vietnam at the Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 17th, he said, “I want to play every game. “It’s a game in Korea, so we need to prepare well and get a good result,” he said, adding, “If I get the chance, I’ll definitely show my good form on the field.”